David Cameron is to force a major showdown with German leader Angela Merkel this week after claims that the man set to become the European Union’s most powerful politician is a ‘drunk who has cognac for breakfast’.

He is to use a summit at Ypres to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War to try to stop Mrs Merkel’s ally, Jean-Claude Juncker, becoming President of the EU Commission.

The Prime Minister’s tough stance comes amid new claims that Mr Juncker is unfit for the job because of his alleged ‘boozing’.

'Wrong man for the job': Jean-Claude Juncker tucks into his food - and wine - at a European finance ministers' meeting in 2011. A senior diplomatic source claims Mr Juncker 'reportedly has cognac for breakfast'

‘Most European leaders privately admit Juncker is the wrong man for the job,’ said a senior British source. ‘But they have given in to the Germans. Let them vote for him in public so we know who to blame when he makes a mess of it.’

The Prime Minister believes arch pro-European Mr Juncker will sabotage his bid to reform the EU, but is resigned to losing after France’s Francois Hollande and other Left-wing leaders backed him yesterday. Mr Cameron has warned that if Mr Juncker gets the job, the UK will be more likely to vote to leave the EU.

He was allegedly ‘blind drunk’, acted in a ‘vulgar’ way and repeatedly used the f-word in a meeting.

A respected German news journal claimed he had ‘drunk too much for years’ in an article headlined Achtung, Alkoholkontrolle! (Attention. Breathalyser Test!).

A top Dutch politician called him a ‘stubborn drinker’, forcing Mr Juncker to issue an angry denial.

An EU envoy told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Juncker and his boozing is the worst-kept secret in Brussels. He is politically and personally unsuited to run the EU.’

His supporters, however, claim he is the victim of a dirty-tricks campaign. One said: ‘He has a proven track record in taking tough decisions.’

Mr Juncker’s father was injured fighting for Hitler, something he cites as one of the reasons for his belief in the EU. He speaks fluent German, though his mother tongue is Luxembourgish. Both are official languages of his home country, as is French.

Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine said: ‘The more often Juncker’s name is dropped, the more the question arises whether he would be sturdy enough for the office of President. Long-time companions report of human weaknesses almost unknown to a broader public.’

His drinking was ‘an open secret’ in Luxembourg, it said, claiming Juncker had ‘drunk too much for years’.

The article even suggested he drank in secret, but would be unable to do so once he was EU President. ‘He worked until official events were over and the doors closed behind him. Retreating from time to time would no longer be possible in his new top job in Brussels.’

Talking with Cameron in 2012: The Prime Minister believes arch pro-European Mr Juncker will sabotage his bid for EU reform, but is resigned to losing after Francois Hollande and other Left-wing leaders backed him

Claims about Juncker’s drinking first surfaced publicly last year following a Luxembourg spy controversy that saw him forced to resign as the country’s prime minister.

A leaked report by former intelligence agent Andre Kemmer described a meeting he attended with Juncker and Marco Mille, the former boss of the country’s intelligence agency SREL.

Kemmer wrote: ‘Towards the evening, we
met in [Juncker’s] office… It had a smell of stale tobacco and there was
an ominous note of alcohol in the air. Half staggering, he came up from
behind his desk… Juncker was blind drunk. He ordered two espressos for
himself and asked us to take a seat.

‘Towards the evening, we met in
[Juncker’s] office… It had a smell of stale tobacco and there was an
ominous note of alcohol in the air. Half staggering, he came up from
behind his desk… Juncker was blind drunk’

‘Without any introduction, he started to lay into Mille. “I f*** where, who, and when I want – do you get me? You could f*** too, but you can’t even do that – your German correctness…won’t allow you to.”’ (It is thought that in this context, the f-word was used to indicate he was prepared to treat someone unfairly, rather than it having a sexual connotation.)

Kemmer’s report continued: ‘For around five minutes, Juncker continued his diatribe against Mille, which I do not want to describe in more detail for moral reasons.’

Mr Juncker’s drinking has been questioned by Holland’s Jeroen Dijsselbloem, his successor as chairman of the so-called Eurogroup – an informal body of EU finance ministers.

Asked if smoking and drinking were allowed at Eurogroup meetings, Dijsselbloem replied: ‘It has always been prohibited. Only the former chairman did not abide by it.’

Juncker was ‘a stubborn smoker and drinker’, he said.

A furious Mr Juncker hit back: ‘I have no problems with drink, that’s enough! Leave me alone with allegations that are not true. I have no health problems. I find it offensive having to deal constantly with rumours about me.’

Britain’s Financial Times said of Mr Junker: ‘The booze has always been a subject of Brussels gossip. He has proved his ability to sit through all-night Brussels haggling sessions, fortified by brandy and cigarettes.’

The newspaper joked: ‘Perhaps the next EU President could have one of those slogans on the office wall – “You don’t have to be drunk to work here, but it helps.” ’

Last week, it stated: ‘It is a commonplace observation among diplomats that Juncker drinks too much. He is the wrong choice.’

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘Mr Juncker appears to be drunk on power, or the prospect of power. We all knew Mr Juncker was on the gravy train; now it appears he is on the sauce as well.’

A spokesman for Mr Juncker said: ‘He will not engage on these topics.’

Additional reporting: Peter Allen in Paris

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'A drunk who has cognac for breakfast': EU presidency favourite faces explosive claims as Cameron prepares for showdown with Merkel to stop him taking top job